Packaging and tying mechanism



J. T. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYI-NG MECHANISM Sec. 9, 1924. 1,513,310

Filed Feb. 16, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR f HISATTORNEY$ J. T. DALTON PACKAGI G AND TYIN'G MECHANISM Filed Feb. 16, 1924 13 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. T. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM Dec. 9, 1924. 1,518,310

Filed Feb, 16, 1924 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 v I l I INVENTOR I BY HIS ATTORNEYS 1,518,310 J. T. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM FiledF'eb. 16, 1 924 13 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR r H15 ATTORNEY;

Dec. 1,518,310

I I v .1. T. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM i e 1 Feb 16, 1924 13 Sheets-Sheet. b

HIS ATTORNEYS Qec. 1924- 1,518,310

' J. T. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYI NG MECHANISM- Filed Feb" 16, 1924 13 e ts-Sheet INVENTOR D 9, 1924. I J. T. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM F'iled Feb, 16, 1924' 13 Sheets-Sheet '2 INVENTOR gmaezm Hi5 ATTORN J. T. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM Dec, 9, 1924.

Filed Feb. 16. 1924 13 Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR AOaZ I I/ BY I r M 4.1 HIS ATTORNEYS A m, 9, 1m. 1,518,310

J. "r. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 1s,,1924 1s S eets-Sheet 1o I INVENTOR ms ATTORNEY mew, 1924. 3 1,518,310

J.T. DALTQN PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 16, 1924 lasneewsneet 11 INVENTOR a-us ATTORNEYS Dec,

J. T. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 16, 192% 1s Sheets-$he t 12 INVENTOR @mdm HIS ATTORNEYS Dec. 1924- 1,518,310

- J. T. DALTON PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 16, 14 ls'sne s-sneet 15 W F Hi5 ATT\RNEY iN ENTCR Patented Dec. 9, 192d.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN '.l'.. DALTON, OF DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO THE, AME-MUAN TO- BACCO COMPANY, 0]? NEW YORK, N.

Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PACKAGING AND TYING MECHANISM.

Application filed li'elau'uary 16*, 1924. Serial No. 698,393.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Jenn T. DALTON, a citizen of the United States and resident of Durham, in the count 01 Durham and State of North- Carolina, ave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packaging and Tying Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to packaging and tying mechanism, and especially to the class of mechanism which is ada ted for filling pouches or bags, applyin la els or revenuestamps vto them; and-o erwise preparing them for shipment and sale.-

Whilethe invention is not necessarily limited as to its utilit it is especially well adapted to mechanisms designed for filling small cotton bags with smoking tobacco, applying revenue stamps, and when desired a so applying and securing a book of papers to each bag, bags so prepared being in great demand for pocket use of pi eand cioarette smokers.

articularl the invention as herein disclosed is in one aspect a modification of or an addition to a previously well-known machine ,which automatically inserts measured charges of tobacco in cotton bags, which are placed by hand on spouts of a rotary turret,'positioned beneath the filling hopper, filled and transferred to successive bag holders of a conveyor, and carried on to a point where the next operation is performed, which is specifically in this machine the application f a revenue stamp over the mouthrend the bag. In these machines no provision has heretofore been made for tying or otherwise closin the bags-which have (by operations previously performed) draw strings inserted in-hem' edges surrounding their mouths and which must, of course, remain o n with the strings undrawn and untied uring the filling operation. The practice in the operation of such machines has been for an at tendant to sit astride the bag holder conveyor above mentioned and to loosely hanging strings and tie t em in a iiitable knot, usually a double or single is to avoid missing any bags, and even asp. the

Since the machines in question oper- I ate at considerable speed, it is necessary for 1 the tier to be dexterous and attentive if he when the tiers are trained and competent, it is sometimes impossible for them to'keep up with the bag movement, and tie skips occur, which cause considerable delay and annoyance in connection with other opera-r tions of the machine; and, of course,-the necessity for the tier greatly increases the labor cost.. The particular machines referred to above require the service of an attendant to place the bags on the turret spouts, another attendant to supervise the stamping and other subsequent operations,

and a third attendant to do the tying, Y

My invention provides entirely automaticmeans for closingand tying the successively advancing filled bags, the invention being designed, so far as the tying mechanism per se is concerned, as exemplified in. the present embodiment, for incor rationin or as addition to the known mac esabo've referred to, and completely or wired for successful co-operation with sue machines.

The tying mechanism operates with great 7 accuracy-and practicallywithout skips, and

in fact the operation of the tying mechanism itself, as demonstrated, in daily practice, is practically perfect and skips or bad ties occur practically only when: other prew vious operations have been omitted or badly performed. Considering theinvention only as a tying mechanism, therefore, it is entirely dispenses with the expense of a third attendant, and makes the said known machines, or any other mechanism to whichthe' invention is adapted or adaptable, or in which it may be incorporated as a part of a completely organized. machine, entirely automatic so far .as the bag closing andt-ying operations are concerned.

The tying mechanism also is ca able of operating at high speed, the norm 3 ,out ut o the aforesaid known type of bag handling machines being well within the ca slit) of] the tying mechanism; and whereot er arts of a"cor nplete bag lilling and hen ling machine are designed for higher output capacity, the tying mechanism is or can readily be adapted forsuch increased output, up-to any reasonable number-'01 bags per minute.

readily adapted to tie the strings in a hard The invention is adapted or a de table for h I making different styles of ties. t can be .tion, so that the tag may knot, but since such a tie would beinconvenient to the tobacco user, the machine as here shown is adapted tomake a bow knot. It can readily be adapted to tie a double how, but specifically, in the present example, it is arranged or adapted to tie a single bow, since this is sufiicient to enable the consumer to easily untie the bag and particularly because under present conditions, a tag is attached to one of the draw strings, and it is desirable that this string shall be left relatively long after the tying operahang at one side of the bag; consequently, the single bow is formed in the other, untagged, string.

e invention also includes means for avoiding delay or inconvenience resulting from skips in the regular advance of bags up to the-stamping position, that is, failure to place bags on "the turret spouts, or failure for any other reason to' properly present bags in regular order for fillin and tying. Particularly,-as.here embodie the invention consists, ture is concerned, in a magazine conven- -iently located posterior to the tying point and anterior to the stamping. position.

Properly filled and tied bags in any rea' sonable number are placed'in this magazine and means are providedby-which, whenever a conveyor hag holder arrives ata certain predetermined position "without a bag therein, or with a bag in any considerably in another position.

defective condition, as for instance, one that is only partly filled, or improperly positioned, a

place in the regular line of bag the missing or improperly positioned or conditioned bag.

In the above mentioned known machine,

- glued revenue stamps are presented in regu lar'se uence in front of the advancing bags, and il there is a skip in the regular order of bag advance, ed without any bag to receive-it and carry it away from the point of presentation.

"Since skips at more" or less frequent inter vals are practically unavoidable, considerable attention of an attendant is required to properly dispose of these unused glued revenue stamps, inorder'to avoid loss of the stamp itself, and to prevent the'glued stamp from getting mixed up in the mechanism or applying glue to the machine parts where it would cause trouble, and for other obvious reasons. The pro ision of a magazine of filled and tied bags, with means for automatically substituting one of these .bags for any bag missing in the regular order of operations, avoids the difficulty and annoyance referred to and also enables the attendant who supervises the stamping and subsequent operations to pay closer attention to the o erations subsequent to stamping, and to t e so far as this feat-- .ing mainly the properly filled and tied bag will-be. ejected from the magazine, and take the advance of a revenue stamp is presentin connection with the following detaildescription of the accompanying drawings,

which. show one exemplifying embodiment of the invention. -After considering this, it

will be evident that many variations may be made, and -I contemplate the employment of any structures that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a view mainly in side elevation, but partly in section, showing certain parts of a representative bag handling and stamping machine, with my invention incorporated-therein.

Fig. 2 isan elevation from the opposite side of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, showing mainly the turret, turret bag spouts, conveyor, a conveyor bag holder, and string handling or positioning devices.

4'1s a view in elevation showing F1 mainly the tying mechanism. Fig. 5-is a view, principally in plan, showbagfilling. positlon.

arts.and operations at the ig. 6 is a'vertical section of the same.

is a view, mainly in plan, of the Fig.

hopper and associated devices.

extra bag CF-ig. 8 1s a vertical section of the same.

Fig. -9 is'a similar view showing the parts Fig. 10 is a detail view in vertical section of the hopper and latch mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a similar view showing the parts in a different position.

Fig; 12 is an elevation of the hopper, latch mechanism and associated or adjacent parts.

Fig. 13 is a detail view in vertical section illustrating mainly string handling or posi tioning devices.

Fig. 14 is a view in horizontal section, looking down on a bag in process of tying. Fig. 15 is an enlarged detail elevation of a part of the tying mechanism.

- .igs. 16 and 17 are. views similar to Fig. 14, showing progressive stages of the tying operation. 1.

.Fig, 18 is an elevation showim mainly mechanism for ejecting the bags lrom the successively positioned conveyor bag holders, and feeler mechanism co-operating with the bags, the extra bag magazine and the ba ejector.

Figs. 19 and 20 are detail views in elevation of features of the tying mechanism -which may be incorppratedin the machine,

revolution at a time, and itis also raised. and lowered at suitable intervals by mcch-' anism' not particularly illustrated, since the machine itself, as above stated, has been for some time in,us e and its construction is we'llk'nownto persons skilled in the art.

10,? Below the table 1 is a driving shaft 10 conne'ctedby gears 11 to another shaft 12.-

Supported on the rotary turret are four bag spouts 15, each of which has at its 8,- upper end a flared mouth 16. Located above the table near one side, is tobacco measuring apparatus (not shown) which at suitable 5 intervals deposits a measured quantity of tobacco in a hopper 18 when one of the spout mouths 16 is located beneath the hopper spout 19. Aplunger 20 is arranged to more through the turret bag spout at a point of turret movement 90 beyond the filling position to compress he tobacco charge in the bag. This plunger is carried by a bracket 21 movable in vertical guides on an upright frame member 22. The bracket is operated by a link 23 connected to a lever 24, fulcrumed at 25 and provided witha camroller 26 running in a. cam track 27,'in a cam body mounted onshaft 10 or formed in a gear28 thereon. A chain conveyor comprising parallel chains 30 runs under the turret bag spouts'at pressing position. Between the chains at regular intervals are bag holders 31, provided with wheels 32 running on table tracks 38. The

bag holders are positioned to receive the filled bags from the turret spouts, the pressing plunger serving to press the charge in the bag located in the conveyor holder, while another bag is being filled at the filling position. The plunger remains down while the turret rises to retain the bag in the conveyor holder and strip it away from e tu ret spout. Then the plunger rises ciear the bag to permit conveyor movement.

The chains (as best shown in Fig. 6) pass about sprockets 35 on a shaft 36, sprockets 37 on a shaft 38, sprockets 39 on a shaft 40 and sprockets 41 on a shaft -12,'the shafts beingarranged so that the conveyor pursues substantially rectangular course, includ- .g a downwardly moving stretch 43. The conveyor is intermittently driven 1n con,-.

formity with the turret and plunger movements.

The cotton tobacco bags B are furnished in bunches in flat open mouthed condition and with double draw strings S and S inserted in their hemmed mouth edges, the strings being, of course, undrawn but with fairly .long ends projecting beyond the bag. An attendant stationed near the turret positions one of the bags on the lower end of each'turret spout 15 at some point in the turret movement after it passes the fillingposition and before it again reaches that position. The attendants, acquire great dexterity, so that while the turret makes more than thirty quarter turns perminute, a

competent attendant can slip the bags over the spouts and properly position them with relatively few skips or improperly posi' tioncd bags. Care is, ofcourse, talmn to position the bags with due regard to a de sired string arrangement, that is to say, so that the strings of the successive bags will be in the same positions as indicated at the left and right, in Fig. 3, with the exception that the string holding devices there shown,

and forming a part (if the present invention,

are not present in the old machine -now being described. Each successive turret spoutcarrying a filled bag is brou ht into position over a conveyor bag ho der 31 while the turret is in elevated-position and the pressing plunger 20 is retracted. The turret then descends, moving its bag down into the holder as or just before a measured charge of tobacco is deposited in the flared spout mouth 16 at the filling station, the turret and conveyor being now at rest. The pressing plunger 20 then descends to compact the charge in the bag; the *turret rises while the plunger remains-down to retain the bag in the conveyor holder; the plunger is retracted; the turret advances a quarter turn while the conveyor advances one step, and so on. An attendant is seated astride the conveyor just beyond the fillin posi: tion, or to the right of the turret in Fig. '2, and as each filled bag advances in its holder and before it comes to the downward mov ing conveyor stretch 43, he must grasp the strings, draw them tight to close the bag mouth and tie them. The tie may be a double bow or preferably, in many cases, it is a single bow for reasons mentioned above, and again referred to hereafter. The tiers also acquire great dexterity and correctly tie arvery high percentage of the bags, but errors or skips in tying, as well as in the placing of the bags on the turret spouts, occur at more or less frequent inteivals, as further referred to hereafter.

As the bag holders move down through the vertical conveyor stretch 43, they are successively positioned opposite a horizontal bag channel 50, which may be identified as Y to the bag posits the stamp channel, and so 0 operations may be performed upon the bag,

a stamping channel, and a plunger 51 (Figs. 12 and 18) advances through the aperture 52 in the bottom of the bag holder and ejects the bag and moves it the desired distance through the stamping channel. Prior movement, a 'revenue stamp R, Fig. 1,-is drawn upQby stamp grippers 53 and positioned vertically across the channel in the mid-width position of the bag whoseadvancing end strikes the middle of the stamp (which. has been properly glued) and the stamp ends' are folded against the broad sides of the bag and; pressed down by suitable devices including the brush 54. The plunger, which may be identified as an ejector plunger in distinction from the compressing plun er 20 above mentioned, is then withdrawn, t e conveyor again advances to position another he opn. ther including the association with it of a book of papers, applyinga band to retain the papers-,and in. some cases applying an additional label, these operations being per- {prmed at or adjacent to the. stationGO, i 1.

ile, as above stated, the bag placing and tying attendants are usually skilful and elficient within human limits, the tier makes faulty ties or entirely misses a tie at more or less frequent intervals. Since only two seconds or less, is allowed him for each tying operation, he ordinarily does not have time to correct mistakes but must immediately give attention to the next approaching bag. Unless the third attendant mentioned early above is able to detect misties or the tier is able to remove the untied or mistied bag before it reaches stamping position, a stamp will be applied to the faulty bag, resulting either in the waste of a stamp, or particular attention by the third attendant, or someone else, to redeem the stamp, correct the tie and restamp the bag. To largely or entirely eliminate skips or errors in tying and also dispense with the services of the tier, the present invention provides entirely automatic tying mechas nism presently described. The bag placer also at more or less frequent intervals fails to place a bag on a turret spout, and in that case, after a. stated number of movements, an empty conveyor holder is presented to the ejector plunger and when the plunger advances no bag is advanced ahead of it, and consequently the revenue stamp which has been positioned for application to the bag may be wasted, or else careful attention is required to redeem the stamp and prevent its getting clogged up in the mechanism or causing other trouble. To do away with. this dilliculty, the present invention provides entirely automatic means for insuring the proper presentation of a bag for stamping at each advance of the ejector plunger, regardless of whether a bag has been properly supplied to the conveyor holder-or not. This-and other features of the invention will be describedafter the description of the tying mecha- 1,125,666, January 19, 1915, this mechanisming, so far as the knotting operation isconcerned, entirely automatic in its action;, and being adapted to grasp the strings of successively advancing the tying mechanism in holder provided with string supports is 'shown, but the tying mechanism as disclosed in the patent is not associated or correlated [,with any complete bag handling mechanism "or any means for successively presenting. the bags to the, knotter, orfor properly arranging the bag strings in the string supports, 'Certain modifications and improvements are, however, made in the tying mechanism disclosed in the patent and especially, important additions are provided for the present purposes, as suliiciently explained hereafter.

he tying mechanism, designated in general by reference number 70, is enclosed in a casing 71 and is supported on a supplemental frame comprising uprights 75 and 76 secured to table 1. The tying mechanism is therefore located practically in the position occupied by th human tier in the old machine.

To co-operate with the automatic knotter mechanism, provision-is made for properly positioning the bag strings. For this purpose the turret or turret bag spouts are provided withstring holders consisting of arms 80, Figs. 3, 13 and 23 to 28 inclusive. These arms are located at opposite narrow sides bf the spout corresponding to the narrow vertical sides of the bag and are conveniently secured to a collar 81 secured about the upper part of the spout just below the turret. The main vertical portions of the arms are located outside the corresponding narrow sides of the. conveyor bag holder 31 when the bag spout is at filling position. At the lower end of each arm is a string slot 82 flaring outward and downward. Each arm is also slotted centrally parallel to its broad sides and in this slot is located blade 83, having a rounded gripper face 84;

The gripper blade is pivoially mounted by means of a hole 85 on a central portion 86 of a combined pivot and spring 87, which bags, draw them.- tight and knot them, and in connection with the patent, a bag a gripper 6 one-ed e of arm 80.' Below tie pivot 'por- 10 of sufficient .size to allow necessary gripper tion, t e .wire has'another portion 90 terjminatingin anrelbowed portion 91, and at the end of this is an inturned portion 92 .which passes through a-hole 93 in the arm,

blade movement, and fits closely in a hole 94 tip the gripper blade. The spring and other '1! ts are so designed, that'after the spring is bent'to proper shape it can then be in- 16 serted to retain and properly act upon the ripper blade, in the position shown in Fi s. 4, and 26. The gripping face84 of the blade normally bears against the opposite curved face 95 of the string-slot.

When the attendant places the bag on the .spout, he also inserts the strings in the res )ective arm slots 82, pushing'them up until ey are yieldingly held by faces 84 of the gripper blades, the flared slot openings pro viding for the easy insertion of the strings; and 1t is demonstrated in daily practice that the attendants-can properly place the bags and position the strings, whilethe .mar

chme is run at normal speed, and infact, the

machine speed can be increased considerably owing to the avoidance of difficulties in connection with tying and; with skips in bag placing, as above and hereafter further mentioned.-

In man cases atag T, Fig. 3, is afiixed to the en of one of the strings such as S, "and the attendant, in accordance with the particular machine arran ement, therefore locates this string outwar with relation tothe turret center when heplaces the bag on the spout, and the mechanism is arranged to properly handle the tag or to allow for its presence n the string S, as suflicientiyi referred to iereafter.

withstring elders or supports .in the fform of plates 100 located opposite then'a'rrow bag sides and spaced terefrom, and also located .close to the inner faces of the arms 80 when the turret is in depressed position. Each of the plates has a central upward )rojection formed with two prongs 101, igs. 1, 21 and 22, these prongs being sep- The convelvor bag holders 31 are, provided arated from each other by a diagonal slot 102 leading to a string hole or eye 103, Fig. 1. At each side of the string eye is a recess or depression 104 defined by a prong or projection 105.- These-depressions or recesses 104, or certain of them, serve to receive a bag string in certain cases as sufficiently explained below.

When a'filled bag positioned on a turret spent 15 as above ex lained is brought over a'conveyor hol' er at the pressing and transfer posit on, the tagged string S is frame above referred to.

to be retained in the eyes and pulled away.

from the yielding grippers in arms 80. The strings of each successive bag are therefore properly located in horizontal position, extending from the bag mouth to each of the string supporting plates 100, so that the string grasping and manipulating devices of the tying mechanism can properly grasp the horizontal string portions.

Dcsirably each bag holder is definitely located at the pressing and transfer position by rollers 110 carried by arms 111, connected to move together by a shaft 112 and raised and lowered at proper intervals b f a link 113 connecting an arm 114 on she t 112 to any suitable actuating element, such as a lever 115, forming a part of the old their rollers are elevated clear of the holder.

and the arms are then depressed bringing the rollers in contact with opposite holder faces 120 and thus properly centering or locating thesame with relation to the deseending turret spout and the pressing plunger 20. Y

The tying mechanism 70 includes string gripping and manipulating members 130 which may be conveniently designated as a whole, as tiers, and elbowed members 131 designated as a whole as loopers, mainly as a. convenient distinction from the tiers, although the loopers have string gripping and tying functions. The tiers are pivotaily mounted on a sleeve which forms a part of a. system of concentric shafts 132 extending upward'in casing 71 and mounted in suitable bearings for rotary or vertical movement. A parallel vertical shaft 133 is conthe tying mechanism not here described;

The mechanism 70 is driven as a unit by a lar gear 135 on a horizontal shaft 136 rotating in a bearing sleeve in the tyer mechanism On shaft 136 is bevel gear 134 on shaft 133, engaging a siinialso abevel gear 137 engaging a similar gear 138 on a longitudinal shaft 139, WhlCh.lS driven from a moving partof the main or old machine, Spec fically the present .111-

' automatically machine, to

stance, by a sprocket on shaft 139, a chain 141 properly tensioned by an idler I sprocket 143 on shaft 12 previously men-' tioned, which serves in the old machine .to drive the stamping and other mechanism. he tying mechanism is therefore driven in connection with the known make one full cycle of operations, commencing at'or just after the presentation of each bag below theiknotting mechanism and terminating with release of the ba strings as, or just before, thebag is carrie on. a v

The tiers 130 include string grippers 150;, ormed in connection with at symmetrically similar sides of the lowerends of the tier arms. These tier arms can be swung on their pivots so that their lower;

ends convenige and'diverge, they are raised and lowere bodily by pivot mounting, and the grippers are op'eratedto ra'sp andr'elea'se the strings, all sub stantiall y as explained in thepatent. The loopers include horizontal string manipulating portions, or loopers proper, 15.5, and

movement of their for a certain kind of knot, namely a double.

how, as shown in'the patent, the loopers'may be substantially similar or identical in conpresent specific" mechanism provision is made for .tying a single bow, the construction of the loopers,

or 'articul'arly one of them tia y from the showing of the patent and therefore, the loopers and particularly their grippers and adjacent portions will be par-- ticularly described shortly below. As a whole the loopers 131 have only asingle movement, that is a convergent and divergent movement on their pivots to bring the looper arms 155 close together side by "sideand over the bag, or to take them clear of t e bags, substantially as disclosed in the patent.

In general conformity with the patent one of the loopcr arms 155 has near its free end, at one side, a string notch 160, one face of which terminates in a prong or point 161. extendin laterally beyond an outward flat vertical ace 162. A movable string gripper 1G3 serves to clamp the string against one vface of thenotch 180. In distinction from the structure or arrangement shown in the patent, the other looper 155 has at one side of its free end a string depression or notch 165, and shortly inward therefrom, and at the same-side of the arm, is another strin notch 166 which may be called a gripper notch, provided with a movable gripper 167 to clamp a string against one of the notch faces. Although it is not necessary in all. cases, in some cases, as here shown, a guard 170, which may be identified as a tag guard, is afiixed to one of the looper arms 131. The guard is in general part-circular, and is lea signed to be engaged by the tag '1 or the 142 and a d strlng and advance and push or notches or jaws supported by the 19(1 as positioned differ substan- 1 further rotation of tagged string, as the t g and string rotate uring tying action, and to prevent the tag from .fiying out and striking the looper arm, For other interference with the proper tag movement during tying. Where the looper arm is especially designed to give ample clearance for tag movement, the guard-170 may be omitted.

To provide for or to assist in releasing I the strings from the tiergrippers, blades or string pushers 175 are provided, arranged to release the strings from 150 in tiers 130 at about the time that the rippers open to free the strings. These lades are'carriedby vertical arni's 176 pivoted at 177 on the tier frame andprovided with em rollers 178 en aging cam grooves 179 in cam bodies 180. ne of' these'cam' bodies is mounted'on shaft 139 previously mentioned, and the other is monntedf-on an opposite parallel shaft 181,- tier frame upright76 and driven by sprockets and a chain 184 from shaft 139. The chain is suitably guided or tension'ed by adjustable idlers 185 and 186 mounted in a slotted bracket 187.

other guard member 190 is desirably,- provided, connected to'one of the blade supporting arms 176 .by an arm- 191. The guard in front of thetag as it is 95 swung around in the tying movement above referred to, so that instead of being -permitted to flv around'ahe'adof the bag the tag strikes this guard or baflle and is caused to bounce back and lie properly in a suitable position alongside the bag during. the fur ther bag advance, as sufiiciently. referred to hereafter. i

When the bag comes into sitio'n directly under the tying mechanism '0, the tiers 130 are in depressed position and are then'rotated so that the horizontal string portions between the .bag and the supports 100 pass into the tier jaws and are gripped therein, and as the tiers then move upward with continned rotation, the strings re withdrawn 1 from their supports, passing out through the diagonal slots -102. The tiers then move divergentl so that the stringseare drawn. and the bag mouth is closed. Meantimethe 115 looper arms or bills 155 have been moved convergently' so that their active portions li'e side by side over the be top, as in Fig.-

15. Before the tiers 1.30 have rotated farr enough to. strike the loopers they have been 120 elevated sufficiently to clear them, a,nd in the the tiers, the strings. are. wrapped around the loopers'and located at i theend of the active tier movementas shown in Fig. 14. Strin S is carri d around both of the loopers and string S is also carried around the loopers with a 01 over a portion .9 of stringb.

the string" jaws Just after the tiers pass over the loopers before they reach] I the position shown in F i'g. 14, they are moved, It)

tion a? locatediu I nszasm downward as they continue to rotate and in this downward movement a portion of string vancing movement of the looper grippers.

The string holding-notch 1650f looper 155 is located sothat mthe winding movement of string S it is brought into the notch. This provision or arrangement isfor the purpose of forming only a single bow since string S is thus located so that the portion of it gripped by looper 155 will be drawn through the loop 8 of string S, while the portion of string S gripped by loopcr 155 is outside the string loops and cannot be drawn through a loo when the looper is retracted. At about t e position of Fig. 14, the tier grippers are retracted and the strings are pushed out oflhetier jaws by blades l'ili'as above sullicientl explained.

. The loopers are then retra ed, as shown in Fig. 16, and in this movement the string 8 engaged by looper 155,-is drawn through. the loops 8 and botlrstrings are pulled tight, forming the bowknat 4'" which, in the drawing,is shown relatively loose for illustrative purposes. Prior to the cycle moment .indicated in Fig. ,16 ,'string S has been located in one of the string notches 104 by the action of the tag guards above referred to, so that the tag will hang properly adjacent to .one narrow side Qf the ba f. A portion or end 8 of string S is left projecting from the knot, so that'tby pulling it the bight or how 8' can be drawn through the knot to free the strings when it is desired to open the bag.

At about the point indicated in' Fig. .0, .the looper string grippers are retracted to free the strings and the loopers are then retracted further to normal or clear position, as shown in Fig. 17. The bag conveyor then moves on'to carry away the tied bag and po-' sition thenext one for tying.

To provide for properly positioning the tag or tagged string. as an alternative to the method or devices above referred to, means may he provided as shown in Figs. 19 and 20. associated with one of the stringreleasing blades 175 and its supporting arm 176. For this purpose arm 176 has a downward extension 195 to which a brush arm 196 is pivotally connected. The arm is provided with camlike notches 197 and 198. A tag brush 199 is secured at the lower side of the free end of the arm. To co-operatefwith the motches a pawl 200 is pivotally mounted at 201 on a stationary support. The brush acts on a hagwhich has been brought nearly tohorizontal position at the upper end of the vertical conveyor stretch, 43, Fig. 20. At this time the tag. if it has not been properly acted upon'by th tag guards or other devi es abo e mentioned, or if not provided, may be. lying on top of the bag. When lever 176 is moved to the left, as viewed in Fi 19 for the strin releasing function of bla e 1 75, the end 0 pawl 200 engages in notch 19-? of arm 196, and the arm so that the brush is raised clear of the tag, and at the endof the lever movement the end of the pawl enters notchi198, permitting the brush arm to drop, bringing the brush in contact with the upper bag surface. 'When lever 176 is retracted (to the right in Fig. '19), the pawl moves to the right withoutlifti the brush arm, and the brush drags across t e bag surface and pulls the tag to the right and causes it to drop' dlear of the bagat one of the narrow, sides therefor, in roper position for subsequent operations. his device obviouslymay be employed in connection with the other tag controlling or handling devices to provide for failure or imperfect operations thereof, or may be used in substitution for them, as above stated.

Adjacent to the vertical descending stretch of the conveyor, in a position available without any drastic reorganization of,

the old machine, is placed. a bag magazine 210 comprising side plates 21 1 and 212, and cnd.plates 213 and 214, and a bottom plate 217:. Above the bottom plateare flanges 216 forming a bag support and the bottom platehas side ledges 217 leaving between them and the flanges 216 a space or channel 218. Fig. 8, which is normally in line with the main bag channel or stamping channel above referred to. The magazine as a whole is mounted for vertical moveinent on a fixed g'uide plate 220, the edges of which engage in gihs 221 fixed to magazine plate 221), and in every cycle of the machine the magazine is or tends to be raised to normal or upward position by suitable means, 1n-

eluding a bell crank lever 225 fulcrumed at 226 on a fixed frame member, and provided with a cam roller 227 to cooperate with a cam 228 on shaft 12.

Latch mechanism is provided to coopcrate with the magazine. including a mam arm or-plate 230 pivotally mounted on a shaft 231 and having a long downwardly extending portion 232 which acts substantially as a. cam in cooperation with an advancing bag as latenexplained. Pivotally mounted in relation to the main latch mmher is a latch arm proper 235, which .is conveniently also mounted on shaft 231. Near the lower end of the latch arm is a shoulder or hook 236. constituting the latch which cooperates with a shoulder 23? on the magazine, and secured to or formed on the magazine end plate 213. The latch is urged in the active direction by a spring 238 compressed between a suitably formed upper latch portion 239 and the main latch armor such devices are plate 230. The latch mechanism as a whole 

